how to making a simple pinwheel

How to Making a Simple Pinwheel.

Pinwheels are a beautiful decoration and delight children of all ages. Use them to decorate your yard for a party, or happily watch your children as they admire the bright colors whirling together. Once you know how to make a basic pinwheel, you can make a fancier one with more spokes. You can also make a disc-shaped pinwheel. It won't spin, but it'll look lovely as a wall decoration or ornament.

1. Start with a square sheet of paper. You can use any size of paper you want, but something around 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) will work the best. Choose something colorful; double-sided scrapbooking paper will work the best because it has a design on both sides.

2. Trace four diagonal lines from the corners of the square toward the center. Place a ruler on the paper so that it goes from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Use the ruler as a guide to trace a neat line. Repeat this step for the top right corner and the bottom left corner.

You can also fold the paper corner-to-corner twice to make an X instead.

3. Cut partway across each line. Stop when you are ½ to 1 inch (1.27 to 2.54 centimeters) from the center. Do not cut all the way to the center, or your pinwheel will fall apart.

4. Bring every other corner to the center. Your paper will have short, stubby corners and long skinny ones. Make sure that you are only folding the long, skinny corners to the center. Also, make sure that the corners all overlap in the center.

Do not fold the paper. You want it to remain curved.

5. Stick a pushpin through the center. Make sure that you catch all four corners, and that the pin goes out the middle of the paper. Rotate the pin in the paper to widen the hole.

6. Add a few small beads onto the end of the pin. You will only need 1 to 3 beads. Make sure that they are all the same size and shape. These beads will help lift the pinwheel away from the dowel and allow it to spin.

Avoid using plastic pony beads; they are too big.

7. Make the pilot hole in the dowel. Use a thumbtack to make the hole, about ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) down from the tip. Press a thumbtack into the dowel until it sticks, then lightly strike it with a hammer. Pull it out when you are done.

Soak the dowel in warm water for a few minutes first; this will help prevent it from breaking.

8. Press the pinwheel into the dowel. If the pin is loose, take it out, add a bead of glue into the hole, then push it back in again. Give the pinwheel a test spin, then pull the pin out further, if needed. If part of the pushpin is sticking out of the back of the dowel, you will need to fold it down with a pair of pliers.

Things You'll Need.

Colorful paper.

Pencil.

Ruler.

Scissors.

Pushpin.

Small beads.

Thumbtack.

Hammer (if needed).

Short, thin dowel.

Tips.

Make your pinwheel out of thin plastic, such as acetate, binder dividers, or stencil plastic.

Wrap a pretty ribbon in a spiral around the dowel before adding the pinwheel.

For an even fancier pinwheel, paint the stick with acrylic paint or spray paint beforehand. Let it dry before adding the pinwheel.

You can use a drinking straw instead of a dowel. It won't be as durable, but it will be easier to assemble.

Glue a bead, button, or charm to the pin on the front of your pinwheel for a fancy touch.

Make your own double-sided scrapbooking paper by gluing two sheets of paper back-to-back.

Decorate plain paper with rubber stamps.

You can make a simpler pinwheel by securing everything with a thumbtack to the side of a pencil eraser.